Disney piles on the hype with Star Wars Assault Team

As sci-fi fans worldwide are bracing themselves for the anticipated resurrection of one of the most hallowed franchises in film history, Disney is only all too willing to add to the hype as they take over the Star Wars universe. A new free mobile game – Star Wars Assault Team – has now been made available for download and is sure to whet the appetite of Star Wars fans young and old.

The game is actually free to download for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone platforms, but as is the norm, there are a number of paid upgrades and items within the game, making it one of those “freemium” games. Nevertheless, it is still quite possible to go through the game without spending a penny.

You get thrown into the game as the swashbuckling space pirate Han Solo, rushing through a large starcruiser in search for your sidekick Chewbacca. The game will direct you to tap on storm troopers, which causes Han to fire his stunner at them. The game is intelligent and somewhat strict on some counts, but it otherwise picks up from the famed Star Wars experience, so not a lot of it goes wrong.

Fans of the franchise can expect rolling updates to the game as the release of the anticipated new episode slowly draws near. The game is enjoyable, and fans will notice that this was not just another one of those marketing apps haphazardly put together. The overall game design and quality is topnotch, and judging from just that, we can expect Disney’s commitment to the franchise to manifest in more exciting ways as the release of the new film nears. Download Star Wars Assault Team from the Google Play Store here.

VIA: Slashgear

Story Timeline

• Star Wars: Tiny Death Star fulfills your planet destroyer fantasies, 8-bit style


• Angry Birds Star Wars II update lets you fling a frozen Han Solo


• Star Wars: Assault Team arrives in the Play Store

Android's Next Named Release (Lollipop?) Will Be Announced at Google I/O

Going into Google's big developer conference, one of the biggest questions was whether or not we would see a whole new version—the "L" version—of Android. The answer is yes, and it comes from Android frontman Sundar Pichai via Bloomberg Businessweek.

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You Can Now Chat Between iOS and Android Even Without Reception

FireChat, the elegant mesh networking app that lets you talk to you friends without an internet connection, just got even better. While you've been able to use the app on iOS and Android devices separately for months, a new version of the app lets you cross the platforms. It sounds pretty neat!

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Nokia's Updated Android Phone Takes Two SIMs for $135

Nokia has just announced an update to its first Android handset . The X2 is brightly colored, cheerfully specced, cheap—and even accepts dual SIMs.

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Sat-Fi brings connectivity even to most remote areas

Unless you meant to go to the farthest area of the earth to have a retreat, chances are, wherever you go, you’d want to always be connected. But not all places in the world are equipped with a strong 3G or LTE signal. That’s where this newest gizmo called Sat-Fi comes in, as it says it can connect your device to both cellular and web data wherever you are in the world.

Globalstar, the creator of this magical box, says they are using an unnamed satellite to give its users unfettered access to the Internet and to cellular connections as well. So whether you are doing a medical mission in the jungle, or taking that well-deserved vacation in a remote fishing village, as long as you have the Sat-Fi, they say you will never be disconnected.

It can connect up to eight devices and is reportedly easy to set-up and use. You don’t need a highly techie person to install it for you and within minutes of turning it on, you’ll be able to make calls, send SMS, get on the Internet and do whatever it is you normally do on your smartphone or tablet.

However, things like this don’t come cheaply of course. The unit itself costs around $999 and on top of that, you need to pay a monthly fee of as low as $39.99 for the basic airtime plans and as much as $149.99 for unlimited voice calls and data, the latter of which is even more important for some people. Considering the cost, it is not something built for personal use, but rather, it will be rolled out to small businesses and other jobs that would require people to go far and dirty.

VIA: Slashgear

Hisense Sero 8 mixes HD screen, KitKat and budget price

Continuing its tradition of providing budget devices with budget specs in the US, Hisense has announced its latest tablet. The Hisense Sero 8 builds on its Sero 7 predecessor by stretching the display up to 8 inches and upgrading the hardware just a tiny bit without stretching the price tag as well.

The Sero 8 will not probably win any awards and will probably have a tough time competing in the budget tablet market. Needless to say, it is still a viable option when budget is a bit tight. The 8-inch screen does come a tad close to Apple's preferred sweet spot, but definitely don't expect any retina treatment hear. As for raw power, the tablet will not be racing with the top end but probably won't leave you in the dust either, with a 1.4 GHz quad-core processor, a decent 1 GB serving of RAM, and 16 GB of internal storage, expandable with an SD card but sadly only up to 32 GB.

Hisense bills the tablet as a multimedia device, though the 1280x800 HD resolution might leave some a bit wanting in today's Full HD age. The manufacturer is, however, touting its PureColor Reproduction technology that is advertised to show off vibrant colors. Speaker grills seem to be located not at the front, which again calls into question this device's supposed media character. The 5 megapixel rear camera and 2 megapixel front shooter do make for a decent tag team. For wireless connectivity, the tablet makes use of WiFI and Bluetooth, the latter of which sadly only supports version 3.0 of the standard. Fortunately, not only does it run Android 4.4, it is also Google-certified so you have Google Play Store and its app selection here. Hisense has also added a custom remote control app that makes this tablet a perfect partner for one of those new Hisense H6 TVs launched last May.

As to the price, Hisense will not disappoint. For all those rather standard features, you can get a Hisense Sero 6 for only $129. If this device has in any way gotten you interested, you can head over to Walmart outlets, as the tablet will only be available for purchase from there.

SOURCE: Hisense (1), (2)

Story Timeline

• Hisense Sero 7 Pro Tegra 3 tablet gets official - watch out Nexus 7


• Hisense X1 hands-on with a tablet-sized smartphone


• Hisense H6 55-inch Android Smart TV available for purchase

Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A gets a Special Edition back cover

If the perforated, notoriously teased as "band aid", back cover of the Galaxy S5 isn't your thing, then you might be able to get that changed. But only if you're in Korea buying a Galaxy S5 LTE-A from carrier KT, as this new limited Special Edition promo requires.

Last week, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S5 LTE-A bearing specs that were reminiscent of the Galaxy F/S5 Prime rumors. However, the Korean manufacturer disappointed many fans by limiting the device's availability to the Korean market. Perhaps to add insult to injury, Samsung has partnered with Korean carrier KT to introduce a very limited special edition that sort of fixes one of the most ridiculed design decision for Samsung's flagship.

This KT exclusive model swaps out the dimpled back cover in exchange for one that has diamond-shaped patterns. It still looks a bit peculiar, especially from a distance, but not as much as the normal Galaxy S5. Especially when you consider that there are only two color options of black and white available for this special edition, further distancing the smartphone from the band-aid association. Other than that, you get the same premium features revealed in the Galaxy S5 LTE-A, such as the 5.1-inch WQHD screen, Qualcomm Snapdragon 805, and 3 GB of RAM.

KT is also offering something special for early buyers of this special edition. The first few who will avail of this promo will get a 9,900 KRW discount off their purchase of the Samsung Gear Fit. That amounts to almost $10 off Samsung's smart fitness band. On the other hand, the Galaxy S5 LTE-A Special Edition itself will cost 940,500 KRW, roughly $925 converted.

SOURCE: KT (1), (2)

Story Timeline

• Samsung looks to be testing Android 4.4.3 on the Galaxy S5 and S4 LTE-A


• Galaxy S5 LTE-A: 5.1-inch WQHD display, Snapdragon 805 core